Thank you, Madam Chair.
Since my colleagues and I have not had the opportunity to hear from Mr. Moloney, I will repeat my question for him.
I would first like to know whether the Treasury Board Secretariat held discussions with Finance Department officials. When this exercise got under way, who decided what: did the government have to come up with a certain level of cuts? Were people asked to focus on certain areas? Was there also talk about direct efficiency, reductions, etc.? I used to do that kind of work in another life. Did the departments have instructions, or could they chose how to proceed?
I would also like to know whether the departments were offered any incentives to encourage them or force them, as the case may be, to review their own operating expenditures. Over the past ten years, government's spending has increased very significantly. I am not saying that your government is responsible for that; I am giving you the facts.